University of Brighton’s Horsham campus: Novartis say withdrawal is ‘regrettable’

James Oxenham

Pharmaceutical giant Novartis has described the decision taken by a university to withdraw plans to purchase their Horsham site as ‘regrettable’.

The University of Brighton announced today (Friday May 8) it had withdrawn plans to open a campus at the site in Wimblehurst Road after they were unable to acquire extra funding from the government to purchase the land.

A spokesperson for Novartis said:“We can confirm that the University of Brighton will not be proceeding with the purchase of our former Horsham site.

“We understand that, unfortunately, the university has not been able to agree the funding package they require to redevelop the site for use as a student campus after the proposed purchase.

“This is regrettable, as it was clearly an exciting opportunity for the town and would have created a scientific and medical legacy at the site. “We are now actively looking at alternative options for the site and will share the outcome of this process once we have reached a conclusion.”

Horsham District Council’s chief executive Tom Crowley described the decision as ‘disappointing’ but said the council will continue working with Novartis to investigate other options for the site.